Corton - Cotham

A Topographical Dictionary of England. Originally published by S Lewis, London, 1848.

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'Corton - Cotham', in A Topographical Dictionary of England, (London, 1848) pp. 693-696. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-dict/england/pp693-696 [accessed 19 March 2024]

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Corton (St. Bartholomew)

CORTON (St. Bartholomew), a parish, in the incorporation and hundred of Mutford and Lothingland, E. division of Suffolk, 2 miles (N.) from Lowestoft; containing 442 inhabitants. This parish, which comprises 1149a. 1r. 39p., is situated on the coast of the North Sea, and has doubtless participated in the devastation occasioned by the encroachment of the waves upon the land, by which the adjoining parish of Newton has been almost destroyed. From the remains of a church still visible at a place called the Gate, and the ruins and old foundations of houses in other parts, the village of Corton is presumed to have been much more extensive than at present, and probably the resort of fishermen, when the mouth of Yarmouth harbour reached nearly to this place. The living is a discharged vicarage, in the patronage of the Crown; impropriators, the heirs of Thomas Fowler, Esq.: the great tithes have been commuted for £242, and the vicarial for £120. The church is partly in ruins, the porch and the walls of the nave being nearly overspread with ivy; but divine service is still performed in the chancel: from its beautiful tower, which is yet perfect, and serves as a landmark for mariners, and from its extensive ruins, there is reason to presume that it was a structure of much magnificence. Coins, fossils, &c., have been found within the base of the cliff, which borders on the sea, on its being undermined by the tide; and a stratum of oak, several feet thick, and extending in length more than 200 yards, was exposed to the view, after a severe storm, in 1812. About the same time, a part of the pelvis, or haunch bones, of the mammoth, together with other antediluvian remains, was found half a mile northward of the place.

Corton

CORTON, a township, in the parish of Boyton, union of Warminster, hundred of Heytesbury, Warminster and S. divisions of Wilts, 2½ miles (S. E. by S.) from Heytesbury; containing 205 inhabitants.

Corton-Denham (St. Andrew)

CORTON-DENHAM (St. Andrew), a parish, in the union of Wincanton, hundred of Horethorne, E. division of Somerset, 4 miles (N.) from Sherborne; containing 480 inhabitants. The parish is romantically situated in a valley at the foot of a range of hills, whose highest point is Beacon Hill, or Corton-Ash Beacon, which rises 655 feet above the level of the sea. Nearly the whole of the lands have been held by the ancestors of Lord Portman since about the year 1600. Large quantities of marl of rich quality are obtained, which are used as a good top dressing on high lands; and at the sides of the hill is an immense mass of building-stone, but the great labour required to work it to a fine surface, on account of its veins of iron, renders it useless. There is a manufactory for dowlas. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £13. 9. 4½., and in the gift of Lord Portman: the tithes have been commuted for £366, and the glebe comprises 32½ acres, with a glebe-house. The church is a neat structure; the body is supposed to have been built in 1541, and the tower, from a date over the entrance door, in 1685. Some workmen, in 1723, discovered a Roman urn in the vicinity, containing coins in good preservation, of the emperors from Valerian and Gallienus to Probus; and there are traces of extensive fortifications about half way under the hill, which are thought to have been connected with South Cadbury Castle, about two miles distant.

Coryton (St. Andrew)

CORYTON (St. Andrew), a parish, in the union of Tavistock, hundred of Lifton, Lifton and S. divisions of Devon, 6¼ miles (N. by W.) from Tavistock; containing 374 inhabitants. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £8. 13. 9.; net income, £208; patron, Sir Robert Newman, Bart.

Cosby (St. Michael)

COSBY (St. Michael), a parish, in the union of Blaby, hundred of Guthlaxton, S. division of the county of Leicester, 7 miles (S. S. W.) from Leicester; containing, with part of the hamlet of Little Thorpe, 1013 inhabitants. It comprises 2000 acres, consisting of arable and pasture land in about equal portions: the manufacture of stockings is carried on. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at £4. 15.; net income, £138, arising from land allotted under an inclosure act, in 1767, in lieu of tithes; patron, J. Pares, Esq.; impropriators, W. Hubbard, Esq., and others.

Coscomb

COSCOMB, a hamlet, in the parish of Didbrook, union of Winchcomb, Lower division of the hundred of Kiftsgate, E. division of the county of Gloucester; containing 18 inhabitants.

Coseley

COSELEY, an ecclesiastical district, in the parish of Sedgley, union of Dudley, N. division of the hundred of Seisdon, S. division of the county of Stafford; comprising the villages of Coseley and Brierley, with part of the village of Ettingshall, and containing 5683 inhabitants. This place is situated in the heart of a district abounding with mines of coal and ironstone; and the inhabitants are principally employed in the various branches of the iron-trade and other works in the neighbourhood, and in the manufacture of nails and screws, which is carried on to a great extent. A new branch of the Birmingham canal has been cut from Wolverhampton, passing through the district. The church, dedicated to Our Blessed Saviour, was erected in 1829, at an expense of £10,537, by grant of the Parliamentary Commissioners, and is a spacious building in the later English style, with a square embattled tower. The living is a district incumbency, in the patronage of Lord Ward; net income, £138, with a parsonage. There are places of worship for Particular and General Baptists, Wesleyans, and Unitarians. A Unitarian school, built in 1753, is endowed with £31 per annum; and there are some national schools, erected in 1833, at an expense of £580.

Cosford

COSFORD, a hamlet, in the parish of Newboldupon-Avon, union of Rugby, Rugby division of the hundred of Knightlow, N. division of the county of Warwick, 3 miles (N. by W.) from Rugby; containing 82 inhabitants. A part of the lands here belonged to the monks of Pipewell, and Edward VI. in 1553 granted them to John Green of Westminster, and Ralph Hall of London; they afterwards came to Elizabeth and Thomas Wightman, and from the last passed to Sir Thomas Leigh, Knt. The hamlet lies on the west side of the river Swift; and the Midland railway passes close by the place.

Cosgrove (St. Peter)

COSGROVE (St. Peter), a parish, in the union of Potterspury, hundred of Cleley, S. division of the county of Northampton, 2 miles (N. N. E.) from StonyStratford; containing 701 inhabitants. The parish is situated on the border of Buckinghamshire, the Buckingham canal passing on its southern side and there joining the Grand Junction canal, which enters the county here by crossing the Ouse near the confluence of the Tow with that river. It consists of 1559a. 1r. 33p., and the road from Northampton to Stony-Stratford intersects it from north to south. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £14. 11. 3., and in the patronage of Mrs. Mansell; net income, £363. In digging for the Grand Junction canal, some skeletons were found here; also an earthen pot containing Roman coins, chiefly of the later emperors. There is a mineral spring.

Cosmus, St., and Damian-in-the-Blean (St. Cosmus and St. Damian)

COSMUS, ST., and DAMIAN-in-the-Blean (St. Cosmus and St. Damian), a parish, and the head of the union of Blean, in the hundred of Whitstable, lathe of St. Augustine, E. division of Kent, 1½ mile (N. W. by N.) from Canterbury; containing 606 inhabitants. This parish, which includes some lands belonging to the Master of Eastbridge Hospital, and others held under the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury, all tithe-free, is intersected by the Canterbury and Whitstable railroad, and comprises 2260a. 1r. 15p., of which 704 acres are arable, 347 pasture, 657 wood, and 26 in hop-grounds. The living is a vicarage, endowed with the rectorial tithes, valued in the king's books at £10, and in the patronage of the Master of the Hospital: the tithes have been commuted for £537, and the glebe consists of 3 acres. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans. The union of Blean comprises 16 parishes or places, and contains a population of 13,745.

Cossal (St. Catherine)

COSSAL (St. Catherine), a parish, in the union of Basford, S. division of the wapentake of Broxtow, N. division of the county of Nottingham, 6½ miles (W. N. W.) from Nottingham; containing 334 inhabitants. The Nottingham canal proceeds through the parish northward, in a serpentine direction; and the river Erewash runs on the west side, separating it from Derbyshire. The living is a perpetual curacy, annexed to the rectory of Wollaton. In the village is an hospital, founded by the ancient family of Willoughby, for four old men and four women.

Cossey, or Costessey (St. Edmund)

COSSEY, or Costessey (St. Edmund), a parish, in the incorporation and hundred of Forehoe, E. division of Norfolk, 4 miles (N. W. by W.) from Norwich; containing 1074 inhabitants. The parish is bounded on the north by the river Wensum, and comprises 3040 acres, of which 1500 are arable, 640 meadow and pasture, 550 woodland, and the remainder common and waste. Cossey Hall, the seat of Lord Stafford, lord of the manor, is a spacious quadrangular mansion, erected by Sir Henry Jerningham, Bart., and contains many stately apartments; it is situated in a well-wooded park; and contiguous to the house is the family chapel, dedicated to St. Augustine, and richly embellished with stained glass. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the Trustees of the Great Hospital, Norwich: the tithes have been commuted for £337, and the glebe comprises 60 acres. The church is a handsome structure in the later English style, with a square embattled tower surmounted by a spire. There are a place of worship for Baptists; and a Roman Catholic chapel in the early English style, erected in 1841.

Cossington (All Saints)

COSSINGTON (All Saints), a parish, in the union of Barrow-upon-Soar, hundred of East Goscote, N. division of the county of Leicester, 2 miles (S. E. by E.) from Mountsorrel; containing 310 inhabitants. It is bounded by the rivers Soar and Wreake, and comprises by computation 1500 acres, about two-thirds of which are arable, and the rest pasture, with the exception of 20 acres of woodland. The soil, though various, is fertile and productive; the surface is generally elevated, but in some parts flat, and subject to inundation from the rivers. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £17. 7. 6.; net income, £448; patron and incumbent, the Rev. J. Babington. Near the Wreake is a large oblong tumulus, 350 feet long, 120 broad, and 40 high, called Shipley Hill.

Cossington (St. Mary)

COSSINGTON (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Bridgwater, hundred of Whitley, W. division of Somerset, 4¼ miles (N. E. by E.) from Bridgwater; containing 248 inhabitants. The village is one of the neatest in the county, the cottages being fitted up in a tasteful style, and the gardens ornamentally laid out. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £13. 10.; net income, £254; patron and incumbent, the Rev. J. S. Broderip.

Costock, or Cortlingstock (St. Giles)

COSTOCK, or Cortlingstock (St. Giles), a parish, in the union of Loughborough, S. division of the wapentake of Rushcliffe and of the county of Nottingham, 6 miles (N. N. E.) from Loughborough; containing 470 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the road between Nottingham and Leicester, and watered by a brook which divides it into two parts: it comprises by computation 1500 acres, of which about one-third is wold, and the remainder in nearly equal portions arable and pasture land. Limestone is quarried for the uses of agriculture and building, and for the repair of roads. About thirty persons are employed in stocking-making, and a few women in spotting and running lace. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £7. 18. 4.; net income, £395; patron, the Rev. Dr. Sutton. The tithes were partly commuted for land in 1760, about 450 acres still remaining subject to tithe; there is a good glebe-house, with about 200 acres of land. The church, which is supposed to have been built about the year 1300, appears to have lost much of its ancient beauty, having been probably desecrated during the troubles of the seventeenth century; it is now a plain edifice, the principal ornament of which is the window in the chancel. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans.

Coston (St. Andrew)

COSTON (St. Andrew), a parish, in the union of Melton-Mowbray, hundred of Framland, N. division of the county of Leicester, 3½ miles (S. E.) from Waltham; containing 147 inhabitants, and comprising by computation 1800 acres. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £16. 6. 3., and in the patronage of the Crown; net income, £360. The church is a handsome structure, in the early and decorated English styles, with a tower surmounted by a spire, in the later English style.

Coston (St. Michael)

COSTON (St. Michael), a parish, in the incorporation and hundred of Forehoe, E. division of Norfolk, 4½ miles (N. W.) from Wymondham; containing 48 inhabitants. It comprises 345 acres, of which 243 are arable, 90 meadow and pasture, and 9 woodland. The living is a rectory, annexed to the archdeaconry of Norfolk: the tithes have been commuted for £93, and the glebe comprises about 8 acres. The church is in the early English style, with a square embattled tower.

Coston-Hacket, or Cofton (St. Michael)

COSTON-HACKET, or Cofton (St. Michael), a parish, in the union of Bromsgrove, Upper division of the hundred of Halfshire, Northfield and E. divisions of the county of Worcester, 6 miles (N. E.) from Bromsgrove, and 7 (S. W.) from Birmingham; containing 211 inhabitants. The parish comprises 1251a. 3r. 19p. of land, of which 600 acres are arable, 460 pasture, 170 woodland, and 21 water. Part of it extends over the range of hills called Bromsgrove Lickey, commanding extensive views of the surrounding counties, and in several places it is ornamented with large quantities of oak and fir. The population is chiefly employed in agriculture. The Birmingham and Gloucester railway passes through. The living is annexed to the rectory of Northfield: the tithes have been commuted for £244, and the glebe consists of 56 acres. The church is a small edifice with a bell gable, having some decorated portions in the later English style. There is an excellent Sunday school in connexion with it. On three succeeding Sundays after Midsummer, a wake is kept, called Bilberry wake, from a fruit which grows very luxuriantly on Cofton hill. Partly here, and partly in the parish of King's-Norton, is Groveley, the residence, beautifully situated, of John Merry, Esq. Charles I. slept at Cofton Hall, now a farmhouse, on the 14th of May, 1645, the day when Hawksley House was taken.

Cotcliff

COTCLIFF, an extra-parochial district, locally in the parish of Leake, union of Northallerton, wapentake of Allertonshire, N. riding of York, 4 miles (E. by S.) from Northallerton; containing 15 inhabitants. It is situated on the east bank of the small river Coldbeck, and consists of an extensive acclivity, terminating in a boldly rising cliff, which is well wooded: the Bishop of Ripon is lord of the manor and owner of the soil.

Cote

COTE, a tything, in the parish of Olveston, union of Thornbury, Lower division of the hundred of Langley and Swinehead, W. division of the county of Gloucester; containing 17 inhabitants.

Cote, county Oxford.—See Aston.

COTE, county Oxford.—See Aston.

Cotes

COTES, a hamlet, in the parish of Prestwold, union of Loughborough, hundred of East Goscote, N. division of the county of Leicester, 1½ mile (N. E. by E.) from Loughborough; containing 75 inhabitants.

Cotes

COTES, a township, in the parish of Eccleshall, union of Stone, N. division of the hundred of Pirehill and of the county of Stafford, 4½ miles (N. by E.) from Eccleshall; containing 328 inhabitants. This place is situated on the road from Newcastle to Eccleshall, and on the railway from Liverpool to Birmingham. The living of the district church of St. James, CotesHeath, is a perpetual curacy; net income, £100; patron, the Vicar of Eccleshall: there is a parsonage-house. A national school has a small endowment.

Cotes-De-Val

COTES-DE-VAL, a hamlet, in the parish of Kimcote, union of Lutterworth, hundred of Guthlaxton, S. division of the county of Leicester, 3½ miles (E. N. E.) from Lutterworth; containing 6 inhabitants.

Cotgrave (All Saints)

COTGRAVE (All Saints), a parish, in the union, and S. division of the wapentake, of Bingham, S. division of the county of Nottingham, 6 miles (S. E. by E.) from Nottingham; containing, with the hamlet of Stragglethorpe, 850 inhabitants. The parish comprises 3500a. 2r. 35p., exclusively of 102 acres of roads; a portion called the Wold, formerly an uncultivated tract, has been converted into rich arable land. The greater part of the surface is flat; the soil is partly a tenacious clay and partly a rich loam, and the high grounds on each side of the village abound in blue marl, intermixed with layers of red clay. Limestone of the blue lias formation is abundant, and is quarried for building and the roads, and for burning into lime; gypsum is also found. The Nottingham and Grantham canal intersects the parish. The "Court of St. John of Hierusalem," which was anciently held at Shelford, under the prior of St. John of Jerusalem, and then styled the "Master and Lieutenant's Court of Shelford," is held here, and has a common seal: its jurisdiction extends over various parishes, for which all wills are proved in this court, and to the tenants of which charters of exemption from toll throughout the king's dominions are granted. The living is a rectory, consisting of two consolidated medieties, the first valued in the king's books at £10. 7. 3½., and the second at £9. 14. 9½.; net income, £628; patron, Earl Manvers. The tithes were commuted for land and a money payment in 1790; the glebe altogether consists of 555 acres, with a glebehouse. The church is a handsome structure in the later English style, with a square embattled tower crowned with pinnacles, and surmounted by a lofty octangular spire; the nave is parted from the aisles by slender clustered columns, and lighted by an elegant range of clerestory windows. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans.

Cotham (St. Michael)

COTHAM (St. Michael), a parish, in the union, and S. division of the wapentake, of Newark, S. division of the county of Nottingham, 4 miles (S.) from Newark; containing 87 inhabitants. It comprises 1210 acres of land, and has a small village on the east bank of the Devon. The knightly families of Leek and Markham had long their seat here. The living is a donative, valued in the king's books at £7. 18.; net income, £35; patron, the Duke of Portland. The church was partly rebuilt in 1831, when a porch was added.